Punctuation

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The virgule, often called the “slant bar” by computer users, has four specific uses in punctuation. A virgule separates parts of an extended date. Example: The 1994/95 basketball season. Washington was born in February 1731/32. A virgule represents the word per in measurements: Example: 186,000 mi./sec. (miles per second) A virgule stands for the word

Semicolons and colons were originally used to designate pauses shorter than a period and longer than a comma. Now they are used to show certain grammatical relationships with the colon the more emphatic of the two.

Question marks end all direct questions. This includes incomplete questions and statements intended as questions. Direct Question: What is your name? Incomplete Question: Really? When? No kidding? Statement Intended as Question: Your name is Fred? Sentences which describe a question but do not directly ask a question are called indirect questions. They do not take

Sometimes called the exclamation mark, the exclamation point is used at the end of a sentence or after an interjection to show strong emotion or emphasis. Exclamatory sentence: The rain did not stop for four days! Strong command: Be back at ten o’clock or else! Interjection: Wow! When an emphatic interjection or direct address begins

Periods end declarative sentences and requests or mild commands. Declarative: His name is Joshua. Request or Mild Command: Please be sure to tell her I am coming. Periods are used to end most abbreviations except for acronyms and abbreviations which are pronounced. See Abbreviations Contents for more information. If a sentence ends with an abbreviation,